The Roommate Agrement
by Risknight
Summary: Penny needs Sheldon. Sheldon needs Penny.
1. Chapter 1

**:The Roommate Agreement:**

He looked at the tangled snarl of hair and sighed sadly. She had done it again. Once more her self-destructive behaviors had sprung up and wrecked havoc. He didn't have the heart to condemn her for it, though. He understood why she did it.

He removed his robe and reached for the buttons on his pajamas. He had learned early on that in this condition, nudity meant nothing to her. He quickly got over any embarrassment he had initially felt. This task was far easier to accomplish without clothes. Once he was nude, he began undressing her gently but swiftly. He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bathroom. He adjusted the water temperature and stepped behind the curtain. He braced her with one arm as the chilly spray revived her. Once she was conscious enough to stay upright, he washed away the sweat and alcohol.

By the time he was done, Penny was quietly crying. He helped her dry off and then led her back to the bedroom. He tucked her in on the right side before slipping in behind her and pulling the blankets over him, too. She nestled back against his chest and he draped his arm over her waist.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

He placed a tender kiss on her hair. "Me, too," he replied.

Slowly they drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow they would both wake up and pretend nothing was wrong. They would pick back up their routine and be best friends and roommates once more, each with their own bedroom.

And in 5 or 6 months, Penny would go out again. She would drink until she was sick, and stagger home smelling of desperate sex and mind numbing alcohol. And he would take care of her. Because she needed him to. Because he needed to do it. Because in the end, they were all each other had.

* * *

**A/N: I have no idea why it's just Penny and Sheldon. I don't know where the others are, or why they aren't around. This story refused to allow me to expand it in anyway. Anything I tried to add to it sounded stilted and wrong. It's not exactly sci-fi or pop culture related, so I wasn't sure about adding it to the Ramblings collection. In the end I decided to make it two separate chapters and post it on it's own.**


	2. Chapter 2

**:The Roommate Agreement pt.2:**

She brushed his hair back into place with her fingers before taking the Expo marker from his limp hand. She looked at his white board and sighed sadly. Half finished equations that ended in vicious slash marks. Crumbled pieces of paper that littered half the floor. Blisters on his fingers from hours of scribbling without end. He tried so hard, and worked such long hours. He was killing himself, and all she could do was watch, wait, and comfort him when he allowed it.

She bent and pulled his right arm over her shoulders and lifted him to his feet. Thank goodness he was lean, and she had good muscle tone. She pulled him slowly down the hall to his bedroom. Laying him down was easy. In this state, she just had to let them both fall forward. She rolled away and removed his shoes and socks. Tugging his pants off was a bit harder, but it was the two shirts that were the real struggle. Finally she had him down to the Green Lantern boxers she had given him as a joke. She stripped off everything but her own bra and panties before climbing back into the bed. She leaned against the headboard and pulled his shoulders over onto her chest. His head fit into the crook of her neck and she threw the blanket over their bodies. She hummed Soft Kitty softly as he settled against her.

"Why can't I fix this?" he whispered brokenly. She could feel the pain that threatened to explode out of him in moments like this.

Penny kissed his forehead and tightened her grip. "Maybe some things can't be fixed," she whispered back.

Tomorrow he would refocus his mind and resume his work on his theories. She would work her shift at the Cheesecake Factory and then come home to play Halo. And in a few months, the desperate pain and anger would drive him to try and fix things again. And she would be there to pick him back up when he crashed. Because it's what she does. He needs her and she needs him. They had no one else to depend on but each other.

For now, though, she would sing Soft Kitty until they both fell asleep.


End file.
